The DeLaSalle boys basketball team has a long tradition of success, something not lost on the current roster. Islanders players say they are mindful of the team's history every time they hit the court.

"It's not about us," junior forward Sacar Anim said. "It's about tradition. We want to keep the tradition going for the guys before us."

DeLaSalle (25-3) honored its storied past with a dominating 67-41 win over Orono (22-9) in a semifinal game at the Class 3A state tournament Thursday at Target Center.

The Islanders have a chance to add to that history at 6 p.m. Saturday against Austin in a rematch of last year's final, which DeLaSalle won 50-33. One more win would give DeLaSalle a third straight state title, matching Hopkins' Class 4A championship run from 2009-11.

"That legacy, that tradition of our program, is something that motivates them and that we're really proud of," DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson said. "They have an opportunity to write a chapter that hasn't been written."

DeLaSalle players are constantly reminded of the school's tradition. The Islanders have won 10 state championships since 1985, and Thorson said the team was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 1950s.

Anim said alumni speak to the team often, especially before rivalry games. Thorson said many were in the stands again Thursday.

"They motivate us," Anim said. "It means a lot to us. It just gives us that extra boost."

This Islanders squad might be the most talented of the bunch.

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All five starters are set to play Division I or Division II college basketball.

Senior forward Reid Travis -- a Mr. Basketball finalist and McDonald's All-American -- will play for Stanford in the fall. James Lawson and Geno Crandall are signed to play for Sioux Falls and North Dakota, respectively.

Juniors Sacar Anim and Jarvis Johnson are being recruited by Division I programs.

As Anim put it, any one of the five could go off for 20 points every night.

"In a lot of places you can't find that, where the talent's spread out across the board," Travis said. "That helps us. Our team chemistry is great. Everybody wants to work hard and go to the next level."

Minnesota might not have seen a team this talented across the board since the Hopkins squads of the 2000s that featured Royce White and Trent Lockett.

"I think if you put this DeLaSalle team against that Hopkins team ... it'd be a heck of a game," Orono coach Barry Wohler said. "In my mind, they're clearly the best team in the state -- no matter the class."

That talent has led to winning results. Thursday was DeLaSalle's 21st double-digit victory of the season.

But that doesn't make the Islanders complacent.

DeLaSalle jumped to a 21-7 lead Thursday, erasing any thoughts of an upset. The Islanders came out with the same passion they display regardless of the opponent, regardless of the stage.

"We came out with a lot of fire and emotion," Travis said. "I think that's our biggest thing. If we come out talking and with emotion, we play well. ... We come out every game and approach it the same way."

This group of Islanders is now one win away from building on its school's touted history, and making some of its own.

"Hopefully, we can get another one, get a three-peat," Anim said. "Get ourselves a banner, get this one for DeLaSalle."